The British Attempt to Deploy Indian Colonial Troops to Samsun Following Their Withdrawal from Transcaucasia After the Bolshevik Revolution (1918 1919)

This article examines the power vacuum that emerged in Transcaucasia following the Bolshevik Revolution, Britain's strategic intervention in the region, and the manner in which this process was projected into Anatolia through Batumi. By invoking Article 15 of the Armistice of Mudros, the British occupied key centers of Transcaucasia, including Batumi and Baku, and established both political and military dominance in the region. However, the Bolsheviks' victory in the civil war and their subsequent advance into the Caucasus compelled Britain to decide on withdrawal. This evacuation process was carried out primarily through Batumi by transferring the withdrawing forces via maritime routes. From there, Britain attempted to redeploy a number of Indian colonial troops to Anatolia, leading to a landing at Samsun. This initiative was perceived by both the local population and the national resistance forces under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal as an attempt to deepen the occupation and was met with strong opposition. The pivotal role played by Samsun in Britain's evacuation and redeployment activities is significant in demonstrating how developments in Transcaucasia triggered the national struggle in Anatolia. This episode paved the way both for the limitation of British influence and for the legitimization of the national resistance movement.